A. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to an improved bottle particularly suited for dispensing beverages and more particularly to a beverage bottle shaped and constructed for easy opening/closing and dispensing of its contents, said bottle having a volume of about 1.5 liters.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Various beverages including fruit juices, fruit drinks or the like are distributed to the general public principally in either glass bottles, or carton containers. While glass bottles enjoy some popularity with the public, they are expensive to manufacture, they break easily and they are heavy.
Another container used for dispensing beverages is a cardboard container normally having a gabled top formed by the walls of the container being folded and sealed along a horizontal seam. The container is opened by separating the seam thereby forming a spout. Alternatively a circular mouth was provided on the gabled top closed with a turning cap. Carton containers are undesirable because they are difficult to shape and are made of laminated sheets of different materials and therefore are difficult to recycle.
When a group of consumers was asked for their opinion regarding carton containers, they indicated that they bought these containers because there was not a convenient alternative. Consumers also indicated that carton containers were advantageous because they fit well on grocery shelves, are space efficient and are easy to use once the customers grew accustomed to handling them. The customers however also indicated that carton container were undesirable because they were hard to grasp and two hands were required to shake them safely and efficiently. The cartons with horizontal seals were found to be additionally undesirable because they lacked tamper-evident indicia, they were not reclosable, and after several uses, the seams became soggy and dripped. The spout also makes recycling more difficult. The cartons with a pour mouth were found to be additionally undesirable because on the first pour they gurgled, the caps were too small and therefore too hard to open, and the gable got in the way of the cap during the opening step.
Existing plastic containers are either hard to hold and pour from such as soda and water bottles or they are very expensive with integrated handles.